While all a business technology solutions are important, some are bound to take priority over the others, especially when certain ones become an industry-wide focus. A recent survey evaluated the top concerns of small-to-medium-sized businesses for the coming year. The results of the survey identified a few telling trends regarding the priorities that SMBs hold now, and for good reason.

Managed services have quickly become the most reasonable option for businesses of any size to use, and based on what we’ve seen recently, will soon be the only real option for most operations. However, when considering the managed service option, you need to make sure you find a provider with the following capabilities and service offerings:

That’s an interesting question, as there are many things that can create some form of lag in a business network. Let’s go into some common causes of this slowness, starting with one clear indication that "something is up."

We always try to communicate the numerous benefits of managed IT services, but when your business is happy to have their own internal IT department, those benefits tend to look less appealing. For organizations that rely on the expertise of their internal IT staff, they may not think they have a need for--or simply can’t afford--an outside IT presence. This misconception may actually be harming their businesses. Today, we will introduce co-managed IT services, and how they can be leveraged to maximum benefit.

Technology is a requirement in today’s businesses - but just having technology isn’t nearly enough. Be sure to perform proper maintenance activities as well, to prolong the useful life of your solutions. Here, we’ll review a few basics to keeping your technology solutions ready for your use and how we can help with that.

If we asked you to imagine a world where your IT never suffered from technical issues, would it feel too good to be true? Unfortunately, it’s impossible for your organization to prevent every problem related to your IT. What is possible is for your business to encounter higher productivity and less downtime with the help of a dedicated help desk solution.

Downtime is a major problem for businesses, and it’s largely a result of technology taking over the workplace. Since many jobs rely on technology to be done properly, it stands to reason that broken-down technology can pose a considerable issue for businesses--not to mention the costs that are associated with downtime and maintenance. A help desk can alleviate some of the pressure that the average employee feels as a result of relying on technology in the workplace.

All businesses need help with their technology, whether they realize it or not. The question is how they receive that support. Some organizations have access to an in-house IT department that can act as an IT resource to on-premise employees, but others might not have employees dedicated to this role.

Every time something goes terribly wrong, and you are left assessing the damage of some seemingly unfortunate situation, you typically find that by taking a bit of time preparing for the worst could have kept you from the disaster at hand. Those small acts can save your business.

Businesses have a lot of technology to manage. While some organizations have an in-house IT department to manage it, many small businesses are limited due to location factors, budget concerns, and countless other variables. In the past, organizations would turn to break-fix IT management for all of their technology issues. But trends in IT maintenance have given rise to a more popular and more sustainable way for small businesses to get the technology maintenance and management they need.

There are certain processes within an organization that take a considerable amount of time to do. These include applying patches, monitoring network traffic, and updating software as needed. While it might seem like something your business can handle on its own, some small organizations struggle to accomplish everything they set out to do--especially with a limited budget or workforce. Our staff’s powerful monitoring and management tool can aid in this initiative.

For a moment, I want you to stop and consider something. Who do you turn to when the office toilets suddenly stop working? Who do you call for when the lights stop working? Most likely, an expert. So if you turn to the pros for these needs, why would you do anything different for your IT?

Managed services - what are they? The short answer, other people managing the IT systems that you rely on every day to be productive and accomplish your tasks. In essence, they are a freedom from dealing with the troublesome and time-consuming parts of leveraging technology. You may have heard this much about managed services before, but have never been given a deeper understanding of what they entail. That is precisely what we aim to accomplish below.

Most modern businesses depend on technology in at least some capacity, whether it’s for productivity, efficiency, or even security purposes. Without access to important data and applications, your business is a shell of its former glory. This is why it’s so important for businesses like yours to implement managed IT services. It certainly beats having untrained employees maintain your crucial computing systems!

It’s a fact that most businesses today are rolling out technology as a part of their strategic plan to improve productivity and make their business more efficient. The more technology your organization relies on, the more crucial it is to get comprehensive support for that IT.

The market you operate in will dictate how much technology your organization utilizes, which will then, in turn, dictate what exactly you need. Most businesses that utilize your standard PC workstations, with a physical server or two, and standard networking, will need some semblance of IT support. This typically comes in the form of network monitoring and software management. But, any maintenance performed by your staff would naturally result in downtime.

What would you say if we told you that we could remove all that downtime from your business, boosting efficiency, while keeping computer systems safe, software updated, and workers working? At CTN, our managed IT services can do just that. For a manageable monthly payment, you can get all of your organization’s IT managed and maintained, ensuring that your workers have a reliable, stable computing environment on which to work.

With managed IT services, not only do you gain functional, downtime-free information systems, but you also gain the expertise of our certified IT professionals who have much experience designing, deploying, and maintaining information systems for small and medium-sized businesses. Not only do you have access to certified IT technicians, but you also get access to our entire managed services package that includes:

Comprehensive Monitoring and Maintenance of Network

Comprehensive Monitoring and Maintenance of All Hardware

Software Licensing and Management

Data Backup and Disaster Recovery

Vendor Management

Cloud Hosting

24/7 Help Desk

Enhanced Security and Compliance

And more

If you are searching for a solution to a technology problem or a budgetary problem with your IT, look no further than the reputable IT managers at CTN. Our consultants can help you customize a managed services plan that fits your needs and delivers the kind of value that will provide you with a rapid return on your IT management investments. Call us today at (610) 828-5500 to learn more.

Every business needs technology support. This statement is more true today than it has ever been. As your organization adds new technology to its infrastructure, it will naturally grow more complex and difficult to maintain. Thankfully, you don’t necessarily have to go about this alone. By working with an outsourced third party, your business can take advantage of all kinds of great solutions for a fraction of the cost.

Selecting a managed service provider should be like selecting any employee. You need to make sure that your expectations are going to be fulfilled, and that your selection will be there when you need them to be. However, the criteria you examine your potential IT service provider by should be a little different than how you evaluate your other prospective team members.

To help you out, we’ve assembled four of the big considerations to weigh when choosing an MSP.

Industry ExperienceHaving an MSP with plenty of experience isn’t enough. You need to make sure that your MSP candidate has experience with the information technology needs of your particular industry. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck with a provider who doesn’t have the know-how that comes from dealing with certain things hands-on.

Response TimesIt’s one thing to work with a technology resource who knows what they’re doing, it’s another thing entirely to work with one who knows what they’re doing and gets right to doing it. Your time is valuable--too valuable to waste waiting for your IT management resource to start working on your problem, and the same goes for your employees. Time is money after all, so the longer it takes to return the given resource to productivity, the more it will cost.

Scope of ServiceReturning to the thought of hiring a new employee, one of the big considerations that is taken into account is how well-rounded his or her experience is. After all, having an employee that can serve one purpose isn’t nearly as helpful as an employee who has the ability to step into whatever function you need them for. Your MSP should be the same way. Your company’s IT covers a wide range of solutions and devices, all of which your MSP should be able to manage and repair if needed.

On-site ServicesWhile a great many IT issues can be identified and resolved remotely, there are some that need a hands-on approach. Your MSP needs to be willing and able to visit your location and attend to your technology issues if it should become necessary. While remote maintenance is preferable for many reasons, there are occasions that call for a technician to be present. You will want a reliable resource if your hardware is on the fritz and the only way to return to production is to have functional hardware.

At CTN Solutions, we hold ourselves to these considerations and strive to live up to them every day, making us an excellent candidate to fulfill your IT requirements. Give us a call at (610) 828-5500 for more information.

IT maintenance is something of a sensitive topic for some organizations. While most understand that it needs to be done, they often don’t have the resources to make it happen, either due to a limited budget or timeframe. How does your business handle IT maintenance? If your organization is having troubles managing its annual technology budget, or if you are consistently experiencing profit-sapping downtime, consider managed IT services the answer to your problems.

How does your organization manage its mission-critical technology solutions? We know that most small businesses have some trouble with this topic, either due to constraints in budget or a lack of personnel. Either way, we know that there is a better way to manage your business’s technology, and it’s all thanks to an approach called managed IT services.

Some small businesses rely on their staff to ensure technology maintenance occurs regularly, however, this might be a mistake. Your employees don’t have the same skills and certifications that a trained IT technician will have. Furthermore, if you don’t have an in-house IT department, chances are your employees simply don’t have anyone to go to if they are having technology troubles, forcing them to figure out the problems for themselves.

You didn’t hire these specialists to do their job, plus IT maintenance. You hired them to do a job--and chances are that they are spending more time than necessary on troubleshooting their technology and not being productive. Your business doesn’t have the time or resources to wasting on continuous technology troubles. Instead, let the IT professionals at CTN Solutions handle this responsibility. Here are four benefits that your organization can take advantage of with managed IT.

User ProductivityWhen your employees can reach out for assistance with their IT troubles whenever they need it, they are much more productive. Too many decision makers are concerned over how much money break-fix IT maintenance is going to cost their company. However, when employees don’t get the IT help they need, they can’t focus on work, creating a revenue problem. With managed IT, your technology is maintained in a more effective, proactive way. With your workstations running better, your workforce can be more productive.

Fewer IT ExpensesManaged IT means that your business’s technology is going to be maintained regularly, which can reduce costs for your organization. You’ll also be at a reduced risk of hardware failure because replacing expensive equipment like workstations or servers is largely preventable, when properly maintained.

Higher IT Staff ProductivityLet’s say that you have an in-house IT department. Chances are that they don’t have time to address all of the responsibilities they have been given. They likely only have time to devote to helping your employees with their technology problems, or implementing new solutions designed to enhance organizational productivity. By working with a managed IT provider, you can supplement your IT staff so that all of your IT issues have coverage.

Greater Return on InvestmentBreak-fix IT is a problem for many organizations because it accrues major long-term costs. Add in a couple of hardware failures, and the downtime they cause, and you have a major issue at hand. Managed IT resolves these issues for a small monthly fee, rather than a major up-front expense. Therefore, you pay less for more, offering a greater return on investment.

Does your business’s budget need some relief? You’re not alone--plenty of small businesses need the flexibility that managed IT can provide. CTN can help your organization succeed by improving the way you manage your technology. Call us today at (610) 828-5500.

Your IT is a central part of your organization’s operations, but its role has changed significantly as business processes have grown more streamlined. There are always shifts and changes in the way that businesses function, which must be accounted for in the modern office environment. How have these shifts affected IT management in your company?

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